Meet 2021 Summer Studentship Recipient: Eisha Amjad

Working with our Mega Team project members as part of the 2021 CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program, Eisha Amjad gained experience conducting research study visits, gathering consent from participants, as well as interacting with study participants and families. Eisha also learned about data collection methods and processes and the importance of incorporating patient-partners in the research study.

Here’s what Eisha had to say about the summer student experience:

“The CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship webinars and training modules were helpful in familiarising myself with key concepts such as the basic principles of patient-oriented research, plain language writing, and the barriers to, and enablers of, public participation in research.

I learned a lot about how critical it is to communicate complex and challenging scientific findings in lay terms to attract public attention. Through the carefully constructed group assignments, I developed the skills to work well within a team and consolidate several different ideas and perspectives. I substantially increased my ability to read and scan scientific materials, as well as paraphrase key findings using lay language. This has greatly aided me in my position as a co-op student at SickKids. I’m able to better interact with children and answer their questions about the research study in which they are enrolled. I am confident that the skills and knowledge I have acquired through this program will continue to help me thrive both professionally and academically.”

Meet 2021 Summer Studentship Recipient: Shi Ping (Linda) Lin

Working with our Mega Team project members as part of the 2021 CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program, Shi Ping Lin learned how to conduct research study visits, gather consent from participants, as well as interact with study participants and families. Shi Ping also learned about methods and processes of data collection and the importance of incorporating patient-partners in the research study.

Here’s what Shi Ping had to say about the summer student experience:

“My summer studentship experience working on a CHILD-BRIGHT research project was nothing short of extraordinary! Throughout the term, I had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of researchers, eager participants, and parent-partners. Not only did I arrive at a deeper understanding of what patient-orientated research is and how to engage in active and authentic partnerships with researchers, patients, and health professionals alike, but I was also able to apply it in real time during research assessments.

Through the summer studentship webinars, I was made aware of all the different barriers to patient participation, which made me more mindful when engaging with families. My placement with Mega Team also allowed me to practice administering research measures in a standardized manner in order to collect quality data. Through this experience, I learned how to analyze data and how to exercise sound data maintenance by digitizing a collection of research files. Both the intra- and inter-personal development I’ve had in the past four months allowed me to grow as a person and have more meaningful interactions with others.

I aspire to become a teacher and the summer placement equipped me with the valuable experience of working with children affected by different neurodevelopmental disabilities and how to best care for them. Overall, I’m very thankful for the CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program for the memorable experience and for the connection with all the wonderful people I’ve met in the process.”

Meet 2021 Summer Studentship Recipient: Antonina

Working with the Jooay App project as part of the 2021 CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program, Antonina was responsible for data collection and information extraction to be included in the Jooay App, as well as data entry and data analysis using app analytics. Antonina also supported a number of key knowledge translation activities related to the Jooay App.

Here is what Antonina had to say about the summer student experience:

“This summer I had the amazing opportunity to work on the Jooay App research project, led by Principal Investigator Keiko Shikako. The app is a repository of activities that are adapted, inclusive and fun for children with all types of disabilities (as well as their families). This was my first experience working in a lab, so I was lucky that it was in such an interesting and encouraging environment. I learned a lot about the accessibility measures, activities, and organizations that exist in Canada, as well as how much work there is still left to do in that department. There is so much that goes into making a program accessible! Hopefully apps such as Jooay will bring awareness to these existing activities, make them easier to find for people that need them, and encourage more organizations to take accessibility and inclusion into account.

This experience has helped me become acquainted with the research community and lab culture, something that I had very little knowledge of previously. I hope to continue trying to bring awareness to accessibility, for all abilities and in all areas of life, whether it be in future research, work, or everyday life.

This project has also allowed me to participate in the CHILD-BRIGHT webinars, which proved an invaluable experience and insight into the world of patient-oriented research. They made me aware of both the importance of including patients in research and how to do it, considering all the stages of a project that patients can participate in and all the different information they can provide. I will make sure to always keep this in mind for future research.”

Meet 2021 Summer Studentship Recipient: Claire Zhang

Working with the Jooay App project team as part of the 2021 CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program, Claire Zhang was responsible for data collection and information extraction to be included in the Jooay App, as well as data entry and data analysis using app analytics. Claire also supported a number of key knowledge translation activities related to the Jooay App.

Here is what Claire had to say about the summer student experience:

“This summer, I was able to work on the Jooay App and participate in the CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program. From the beginning, we were introduced to the behind-the-scenes of running the app, including editing and finding new appropriate activities to add. I learned how much consistent effort and maintenance a project such as Jooay requires. Then, as I slowly accumulated experience, I began to learn more about the many different needs of children and youth with disabilities, and about the diverse leisure opportunities available to them. This helped change my perspective – any child or youth who wants to participate in an activity, sport, or social activity can do so, it’s simply a matter of finding the right program for the right person.

I was also fortunate enough to attend a meeting with Jooay’s co-investigators and patient-partners this summer. Listening to the many different perspectives and concerns at the meeting helped consolidate what I was learning in the summer studentship webinars and modules. Seeing the material I was learning about being applied in real time made the experience all the more valuable and memorable.  

My future career goals are not yet set in stone, but I’d be interested in pursuing a career in medicine. Needless to say, this summer experience with patient-oriented research and learning about diverse, individual needs will help me along this path.”

Meet 2021 Summer Studentship Recipient: Ting Xiong

Working with our Strongest Families Neurodevelopmental Program team as part of the 2021 CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program, Ting Xiong helped establish a knowledge translation plan and study for the survey results of the Life Beyond Trauma research study, including analyzing the data, and writing a manuscript for publication in an academic journal. 

Here’s what Ting had to say about the summer student experience:

“Even though this was my second time participating in the CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program, I learned many new things about patient-oriented research.

Parent advisors and advocates helped me improve my communication skills. I also learned that when setting up a research team that includes patient-partner involvement, it is important to stay respectful, especially of parents’ availability and their willingness to participate in the decision-making process. I found the patient-partners I have interacted with to be passionate in devoting their time and their thoughts to the project. The perspectives they brought to the project were really meaningful and inspiring. The patient-partners helped shape the content of the program, the design, and recruitment. They were empowered to make decisions at every step, which actually motivated them to devote more to this study.

I also learned about some of the drawbacks of a traditional research framework, which includes researchers and funding agencies but not the general public or the targeted population. Without patient engagement, researchers risk pursuing research questions that are not as meaningful to patients. Patient-oriented research requires additional time and financial resources, but it can be very rewarding for researchers as well as patients.

This experience will help me in my goal of doing research in academia. Thanks to my interactions with our stakeholders, I am aware of the positive influences of our research activities. Some parents described our program as life-changing; positive feedback like this is very motivating. Participating in the studentship program this summer also has influenced my understanding of a research team. A research team without patient/public engagement is incomplete. Public perspectives are essential, especially in clinical trials, as they help to deliver health services more effectively to the people who really need it in a more user-friendly way. It ensures that the research work addresses questions of interest to the patients.”